July – August 2019

“It’s not just a building full of old school desks.” Lara Mather is ready to make her point. As executive director of the Historic Fourth Ward School Museum in Virginia City, her excitement about sharing what is really inside the 143-year-old building that sits at the south end of town is palpable. ... read more

It’s May 21 when I start my ghost town adventure, which means its springtime in Nevada. The birds should be chirping, flowers should be in full bloom, and the sun should be smiling down upon the Silver State. Hotel Nevada in Ely is my ghost town base camp for the trip, and as I open my eyes and peer outside…it’s absolutely dumping snow. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning…only the opposite. I asked Santa for a mountain of presents and a trove of dry roads and easily accessible ghost towns, and I’m greeted with a mountain of coal that I know means soupy mud roads and malicious mountain passes. But, considering I don’t have a choice, I set off into the great and mysterious unknown. ... read more

The Silver State has seen many towns come and go; ghost towns litter the state and have been said to outnumber live towns 6 to 1. While many living towns have seen their fortunes rise and fall, and their populations swell and dwindle, very few have felt it the way Hawthorne has. ... read more

What do surfing and casino games have in common? They’re both a gamble. Ask any surfer if they’re guaranteed to get waves during any session and most will tell you that it’s always a bit of a crapshoot. First, nature needs to provide surfable waves and surfable conditions. Then, when there are waves and the action is pumping, other surfers, surfing rules, and etiquette can inhibit getting waves. ... read more

“Business or pleasure?” If you’ve traveled outside of the U.S., you may have heard this phrase muttered by stoic customs agents upon stamping your passport. But, did you know this scenario can play out within the confines of our great state? ... read more

As the sun sets and light slowly fades from the sky, stars begin to appear and the dark side of Nevada shows itself. Long known for remote and beautiful landscapes, Nevada is now being recognized for its exceptionally dark skies. In March, the International Dark Sky Association designated the Massacre Rim Wilderness Study Area (WSA) in northern Washoe County as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, only the fourth location in the country to achieve this status and the seventh in the entire world. ... read more

If you’re a psychedelic soul born in the modern age, or just looking for a stunning hard-to-find ensemble, look no further than the Arts District in newly revitalized downtown Las Vegas. Stretched along 18 blocks and just 1 mile from The Strip, the Arts District has been the beating heart of art and culture of Vegas since its establishment in 1998. ... read more

Mushroom clouds marked the end of the deadliest conflict in world history, though mankind was just getting started testing the limits of its newfound deadly technology. The development of the atomic bomb is one of the most important factors that caused World War II to come to an end in 1945, though Nevada’s role in the atomic process would continue for decades to come. ... read more

Our 22nd annual readers’ survey is complete, and once again, the staff of Nevada Magazine is happy they are not the ones doing the voting. There are simply too many choices, which is why we leave this to our readers. Nevada businesses engender some staunch loyalty, that’s for sure, but it’s always great to see the names of new businesses make ... read more

High up in the mountain, 35 miles southwest of Las Vegas, is found one of the places most sig­nificant to Nevada's early history. This is the old Potosi Mine, the first lode mine ever worked in the state. Located near 8,504-foot Potosi Mountain, south of Las Vegas off the highway to Pahrump, the old mine is but a short distance from the historic Old Spanish Trail. An unpaved dirt road leads to Potosi and to travel over it a Jeep or pick­up truck is advised. ... read more